Brady (NYSE:BRC) Cut to “Hold” at Wall Street Zen

Brady (NYSE:BRC) was downgraded by investment analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued to investors on Saturday.

Separately, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Brady in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating and one has given a Buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Strong Buy”.

Brady Stock Up 0.4%

Shares of NYSE:BRC opened at $96.56 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.09, a quick ratio of 1.39 and a current ratio of 2.07. The company’s fifty day moving average is $83.87 and its two-hundred day moving average is $78.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $4.56 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.61 and a beta of 0.63. Brady has a 1-year low of $62.70 and a 1-year high of $97.58.

Brady (NYSE:BRC) last posted its earnings results on Monday, November 17th. The industrial products company reported $1.21 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.18 by $0.03. The firm had revenue of $405.29 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $393.65 million. Brady had a return on equity of 19.06% and a net margin of 12.74%.The firm’s revenue was up 7.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.12 EPS. Brady has set its FY 2026 guidance at 4.900-5.150 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Brady will post 4.55 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Brady news, General Counsel Andrew Gorman sold 12,528 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $80.01, for a total value of $1,002,365.28. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 14,153 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,132,381.53. This trade represents a 46.95% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, CEO Russell Shaller sold 17,130 shares of Brady stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $81.25, for a total value of $1,391,812.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 141,421 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,490,456.25. This represents a 10.80% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 73,586 shares of company stock valued at $5,720,907 in the last ninety days. Company insiders own 15.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Brady

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the business. Kestra Advisory Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Brady during the fourth quarter valued at about $90,000. Bridgewater Associates LP bought a new stake in Brady in the fourth quarter valued at about $235,000. First Trust Advisors LP raised its position in Brady by 22.2% in the fourth quarter. First Trust Advisors LP now owns 1,620,931 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $127,032,000 after purchasing an additional 294,818 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its stake in Brady by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 1,524,384 shares of the industrial products company’s stock valued at $119,466,000 after buying an additional 26,151 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company MN grew its stake in Brady by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Wells Fargo & Company MN now owns 36,004 shares of the industrial products company’s stock worth $2,822,000 after buying an additional 527 shares during the last quarter. 76.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Brady

Brady Corporation is a global provider of identification and safety solutions, specializing in the design, manufacture and sale of products that help businesses improve safety, security and efficiency. The company offers an array of durable labels, signs, safety devices, printing systems and software platforms tailored to a wide range of industrial and commercial environments.

Founded in 1914 by William H. Brady, Brady Corporation has grown from a regional marker manufacturer into a diversified global enterprise.